Although the traditional wedding peak season is over, more and more couples are ok with jumping the broom during the winter months. Off peak weddings (November-February) can save a nice chunk of change on venue rental fee and also on select vendors that may have special seasonal pricing. A lot of couples also find it a convenient way to rally their loved ones since family and friends are already heading home for the holidays. And one huge trend I’ve seen recently is vow renewal celebrations on NYE - I mean, isn’t refreshing your love for one another the ultimate way to kick off a new year?! So on top of finding the perfect long-sleeved party dress or winter suit, you’ll want to make sure you bring along the perfect gift.

I remember several years back when I was invited to 2 winter weddings and was stumped on what to get as gifts because both couples’ registries were barren after the holidays. About to give up on a failed registry walk through Macy’s, I found a packaged set of gorgeous Calvin Klein heavyweight plush throw blankets (similar) and I had a light bulb moment that led me to add a personal touch by getting them monogrammed for the couple. I ended up buying 2 sets and both couples LOOOOOVED those blankets! So in case you’re having similar registry woes, I’ve put together a few of my favorite winter gift ideas for couples:

1) Plush Monogrammed Faux-Fur Throws

As I just mentioned, these were a HUGE success with both couples that I gifted to. It’s an idea a little outside of the normal registry but oh so perfect for chilly nights when two folks want to snuggle up and get a lil cozy! Check out all the colors and finishes West Elm has to offer. Also, if you hurry - these are marked down a whopping 50% for Black Friday sales and they’ll monogram each one for just an additional $10!

*Get creative: Throw a Redbox movie rental code and/or a gift card to their fave food delivery service in the card!

2) Custom Engraved Wood Cutting Board

Another gift that I love is this gorgeous wood cutting board by Shelby Made It that you can customize for a couple or a loved one. For those snowy nights spent in making comfort food, give them something to help spice up their kitchen! Shelby is a designer based in Milwaukee that creates BEAUTIFUL custom design invitations. I knew this girl was a star when I watched her on Instagram Live writing names on apples in calligraphy, one-by-one, …yes, APPLES! She also has online shop where she has engraved wood signs and she also currently has ornaments.

Visit her shop before November 27th and you can receive 20% off items during her Black Friday sale!

*Get Creative: Throw in a week’s worth of meals from Plated (use my link and get up to $72 off of your first box!) or wrap up a cookbook like Jeanine Donofrio’s Love & Lemons

3) Edgewater Candles Holiday Collection Set

Ok, I seriously love these candles - and not because we just moved to Edgewater but because every one that I’ve picked up so far has smelled heavenly and burned forever. I came across Edgewater Candles at the top of the year when they were a vendor at IndieWed and I couldn’t help but buy a bagful of candles. My absolute favorite was their Orchid Neroli and I was so sad when it was finally gone but I can’t wait to try these holiday scents! The complete set is perfect to gift or can be broken up individually to create different gift sets for friends and family! Hurry on over to their site and get 25% if you purchase by 11/26!

*Get Creative:If you’re gifting a busybody or a couple who is always on-the-go, consider adding a pair of adult coloring books and nice colored pencils for some mindless fun. If your friends are readers, consider picking up books by each of their favorite authors or a gift certificate to a local bookshop.

4) Wood Wall Hanging Wine Rack

I found this non-traditional wine rack while cruising through Etsy and fell in love with not only the wood’s gorgeous red mahogany color but the artist's mountain style. This would make an excellent gift for anyone who loves outdoors (…and wine, obviously) and also becomes a great conversation piece for their home!

*Get Creative: Let your friends explore their palette by gifting them a gift subscription to Winc, a personalized wine delivery club. You can also snag some glasses to put on display from Waterford’s Elegance collection.

5) French Press Set & Tiled Monogram Mugs

I saw all of these lovelies while shopping in Anthropologie last week and couldn’t stop thinking about them! The sleek French press set comes in a stunning copper and the mugs are described as being “inspired by French bistro tilework (their words, not mine).” These together as gifts are sure to turn anyone’s kitchen ultra chic! Anthropologie currently has a Black Friday sale going on - not sure when it ends but everything is 30% off! Ok, maybe it wouldn’t hurt if I just snagged these as an early wedding present for my fiance and I….right?!

*Get Creative: Visit your neighborhood coffee roaster and pick up a ground seasonal bag o’ beans for them to try a new local blend!

6) ‘Hayes’ Black Marble Collection

If you’ve got friends that love to entertain, this set is EVERYTHING! I love this modern and moody collection by Crate & Barrel! We actually purchased a couple of these pieces earlier this year for a friend’s wedding and I was beating myself up for not grabbing one or two pieces for myself! I love Love LOVE that these pieces have such beautiful texture on top of the dark colors - which means, no more worrying about how to get the spilled red wine stains out of your white marble cheeseboard! (P.S. Try baking soda or hydrogen peroxide.) The sleek gold accents along with the complimentary wood sections will have guests drooling over your charcuterie AND your serveware! To gift, I’d highly recommend grabbing at least one serving tray, the cheese tool set and either the wine chiller or salt + pepper cellar. There’s currently a Black Friday sale happening on the site so you can swipe all these pieces for 20% off. UPDATE: while typing this, I just bought the serving tray and cheese tools sooooooo, who wants to come over and eat all the fancy cheeses with me? #noregrets

Even before Bridal Fashion Week and the Royal Wedding, I've been smitten with all of the trending wedding wear I've been seeing recently. After sharing this love (and many Pinterest boards) with my stylist friend, Erika, aka The Style Cupid, we began dreaming up a styled shoot that mixed modern boho with classic and ladylike. We envisioned a vintage tea party for the bride-to-be who we work with every day: casual, confident, stylish and isn't afraid of a little edge. We found an AMAZING team of local Chicago ladyboss vendors that were all in and I can't express enough how beautifully everyone worked together to make this such a great shoot! MAJOR shout out to Honeybook and the Rising Tide Society community for their ultimate powers of connection!

I may have started planning this shoot a liiiiiittle out of order but before venue, before decor, basically before anything, I reached out to Kelly from Bash Calligraphy immediately! I've been drooling over her personalized bridal jackets and knew she was nearby in Madison so when she said she would ship over one of her "Wifey" leathers, I literally jumped up and did a 90s fist pump! And I'm so glad that was my first step because that set the tone for everything else. Shortly after, I connected with Meg Adamik and I was instantly drawn to her photography style - after a couple of emails and feeling her excitement, I knew she was the perfect person to capture what we were going for. And what a blessing...Meg not only takes amazing photos but her positive energy is so contagious!

I've been itching to work with that Pantone Ultra Violet somehow so when we decided to add some "mood" to the look, I shopped around until I found the perfect shade of deep plum. When I shared this thought with Vy, our floral designer, she sent me over samples of bouquets with beautiful pink roses that were perfectly mixed with royal purple flowers. Vy was such a huge part of my design ideas, whether she knows it or not, because she had such great floral suggestions that helped me pull even more inspiration. With all that said, the next person I turned to was Romy, owner of Kith & Kin - a lady that really knows how to tea! She provided us with those gorgeous modern teacups, the tea pot, saucers, serving platters and even sent over a special brew for the day. Once our table was set, I connected with Nerissa from NB Modern Calligraphy and it's like she knew what I was thinking after one short email - she sent over samples of paper, inks and gorgeous hand-dyed ribbons in violets, purples and coppers and my jaw dropped *heart eye emoji*

click images to enlarge

When the table was all set, Erika worked her magic to pull together all of the looks. When Honey Bridal's email came across my inbox and I saw they had picked out & FOR LOVE's Brooklyn gown in "Disco"(worn by Diane - and by disco, they mean DISCO) we were ECSTATIC! For the jumpsuits, Erika picked up the perfect Free People one-piece with amazing flare legs (in oatmeal, worn by Kasia) For the others, my cousin, Briana - the owner of Bella Bridesmaids-Minneapolis, pulled 2 looks that were perfect: the Scarlette by Joanna August, a romantic halter style (in white, worn by Chasity) and the Mila, an off the shoulder jumpsuit with gorgeous boho-style lace by Theia (in baby pink, worn by Kristina). Erika shared her vision with our beauty team, Yenuhen and Yessenia, and they NAILED IT.